News

Mix: Vonage, Chess Wars, Dual SIM, Rock Band

By Charles Starrett ● Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Vonage has announced that it has received approval from Apple for its mobile application for the iPhone and iPod touch. Although the company has yet to reveal details, the app is expected to allow users to place VoIP calls using their Vonage account over Wi-Fi. According to the announcement, the company is currently conducting a beta test of the software and will announce availability at a later date.

Apple has rejected an update to the game Chess Wars, claiming after a six-week wait that the game’s chat feature bore too close a resemblance to Apple’s own Messaging application. Joe Stump of Blunder Move, developer of Chess Wars, writes on his blog (Warning: NSFW; strong language) that the company submitted an update to the game which featured a critical bug fix to Apple roughly six weeks ago, only now hearing back that the chat feature’s bubbles look too much like Apple’s “trademarked” chat bubbles. Among other suggestions, the Apple representative Stump talked to said the company could make their bubbles “less shiny;” Stump also points out that his bubbles are basically the same as those found in the official Facebook application for the iPhone and iPod touch. [via DF]

USBFever has launched a new 3-in-1 External Battery case with Dual SIM function for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. The case features an integrated 1900mAh battery, a mini-USB port for recharging, open access to all ports and controls save for the Dock Connector and ring/silent switch, an LED power indicator, and a dual SIM card adapter that allows users to switch between the two SIM cards using the Settings application. It is unclear, however, whether the adapter works with non-jailbroken/unlocked iPhones. The 3-in-1 External Battery Case with Dual SIM function is available now and sells for $60.

EA has announced a new version of Rock Band for mobile devices set to launch on Verizon September 16. Despite the apparent network restriction, screenshots of the game posted to EA Mobile’s Facebook account show what appears to be a very iPhone-friendly interface, suggesting the game may yet see a release on the App Store. Officially, EA Mobile says it is “unable to comment on any other platforms at this time.”